How Many Dart Frogs Can Live Together?

Generally, 2-3 dart frogs can live together in a well-planted 20-gallon tank. Ensure they have plenty of hiding spots to reduce stress. Avoid housing different species together as it can lead to aggression and health issues. Always monitor their behavior to ensure they coexist peacefully.

As long as you follow some ground rules that can alleviate aggression and house dart frogs in one vivarium, you’re good to go. But I strongly recommend keeping one species in one vivarium and not mixing it up with other species.

Let’s check out why and what you should do afterward to keep a dart frog.

How Many Dart Frogs Can I Keep in a Tank Together?

It’s not an easy-to-answer question. Before you can determine the actual number, there are some points you need to consider:

Factors to Consider

Size of the Dart Frogs: Different species vary in size, affecting space requirements.
Temperament and Habits: Some frogs are more aggressive or territorial.
Climbing vs. Terrestrial: Whether they prefer to climb or stay on the ground impacts tank design.
Maintenance Time: More frogs require more time for care and upkeep.

General Rule of Thumb

A general rule to solve this issue is to calculate a minimum of 5 gallons of space for each dart frog. This is why the best way is to have a massive tank considering the space.

Tank Size and Floor Space

Calculating Gallons: The gallon size alone isn’t enough. For example, a 55-gallon tank with dimensions 48″×12″×18″ might be calculated as only 30 gallons for frog purposes due to limited floor space.
Floor Space Consideration: A 40-gallon tank, despite being smaller, might be more frog-friendly because of better floor space.

Housing Multiple Frogs

If you’re planning to house more than 3 or 4 dart frogs, you need to ensure a large size vivarium. For larger species like Phyllobates terribilis, a vivarium that is 20 or 30 inches tall, or even taller, is necessary.

Can you mix dart frogs together?

When considering mixing 3 or 4 frogs of different species, aim for a 75-gallon tank or larger. Beginners should take it slow and research specific species and their lifestyles before housing multiple frogs together.

Avoid Mixing Different Species

It’s highly discouraged to add different frog species, even if you can afford them. Each vivarium has its own balance, and introducing new frogs can disrupt this equilibrium, leading to aggression.

Tips for Adding New Frogs

If you must add new frogs to an existing tank:

Disrupt the Tank: Perform major cleaning and an overhaul.
Simultaneous Introduction: Add new frogs with existing ones at the same time.
Rearrange: Replace things in the tank to create a new environment.

Important Considerations

Avoid Juveniles or Froglets: Do not add juveniles or froglets with older frogs, as they may not survive.
Size Matters: New frogs should be similar in size to the adult ones to prevent aggression and ensure safety.

Should You Keep Different Types Of Dart Frogs Together?

Honestly speaking, it’s a gloom and doom situation. Housing different species of dart frogs in a single vivarium will cause havoc in the long run. It’s best to keep individual species or morphs of a species separately.

Territorial Nature and Aggression

By nature, dart frogs are highly territorial and aggressive, even against their own species. Mixing multiple kinds in the same tank will lead to unnecessary deaths and stress for your frogs.

Grouping Dart Frogs

Generally, dart frogs can be broken down into two groups:

Group 1: Same Species

You can keep all Phyllobates, Dendrobates auratus, Epipedobates, and Dendrobates leucomelas together without major issues. While territorial aggression remains, they usually don’t fight to the extent where health is severely impacted.

Breeding Considerations:
Breeding females may fight over males and even swallow others’ eggs. Monitor closely during breeding time and make wise decisions for healthier eggs. Also, keeping various species together may cause hybridization, which is discouraged by all experts in the dart frog hobby.

Group 2: Sexed Adult Pairs

Species like Dendrobates azureus and Dendrobates tinctorius can be housed as individual adult pairs. However, note that two females will quarrel and fight if housed in the same vivarium. The most suitable pair is one female and two males.

By following these guidelines, you can ensure a healthier and less stressful environment for your dart frogs.

Why Different Species of Dart Frogs Are Discouraged to House in the Same Vivarium?

This isn’t a simple question to answer. Plus, it’s related to another hidden question: “Why is Hybridizing of Dart Frogs Discouraged in the Hobby?” Let’s break down both questions and explore every detail you should know.

Hybridization and Crossbreeding

Most dart frog species with common relationships can breed with each other. For example, Dendrobates auratus, Dendrobates tinctorius, Dendrobates truncatus, and Dendrobates leucomelas are related and can potentially breed and produce offspring.

When different species mate and produce offspring, this process is called hybridization, resulting in hybrids.

Distinct Patterns and Crossbreeding

Different species of dart frogs show distinct patterns and colors in grown populations. These species don’t typically breed in the wild but may do so when kept together in captivity. Breeding frogs from two separate populations is known as crossbreeding, and the offspring are called crosses.

The Downside of Hybrids and Crosses

Though hybrids and crosses appear healthy, dart frog hobbyists dislike them because they are usually sterile, meaning they cannot reproduce. Once hybrid or crossbreeding starts, you can’t revert to the 100% wild species. Both the genotype and phenotype of the original frog are lost forever.

Conservation Concerns

You can’t recover the original morph of a species. Most genuine species in the wild are endangered due to natural calamities and habitat changes. To protect them, many hobbyists, scientists, and experts forbid interbreeding among different morphs and localities. And I agree with them.

Types of Dart Frogs that Can Live Together

The world is full of dart frog species to pet, so I’ll name a few to assist you on the way. But it’s vital to keep one species in one tank to prevent hybridization and cross-breeding.

General Rule: The larger your tank, the more frogs you can keep.

Dendrobates Auratus (Green/Black Poison Dart Frog)

Ideal for beginners.
Non-aggressive and colorful.
Females grow around 0.25 to 0.5 inch, males 1 to 1.5 inch.
Can house 1 to 3 in a 10-gallon tank (18x18x18 inches).
Prefer horizontal tanks over vertical ones.

Dendrobates Leucomelas (Bumblebee Poison Dart Frog)

Known by many names: yellow-headed dart frog, bumblebee poison dart frog, yellow-banded poison dart frog, “leucs”.
Fiercely territorial, bold, and active.
Can house 1 to 2 in a 10-gallon tank, or 3 in a vivarium (18x18x18 inches).
Prefer humidity around 65 – 85℉.

Dendrobates Tinctorius (Dyeing Poison Dart Frog)

Best left in a single vivarium to prevent cross-breeding.
Juveniles can live in groups; adults need separation.
Females fight during mating season; keep one female per vivarium.
Can house 1 to 3 in a 10-gallon tank.
Live 4 to 6 years in the wild, over 10 years in captivity.

Adelphobates Galactonotus (Splashback Poison Dart Frog)

Explorers and territorial by nature.
Group of 3 females and 2 males need at least a 45-gallon tank (80x50x50 inches).
Ensure climbing areas in the terrarium.

Dendrobates Truncatus (Yellow Striped Poison Dart Frog)

Known by various names: Yellow Striped Poison Dart Frog, Yellow Truncatus, Nilo Poison Arrow Frogs, Yellow Truncs.
Rare but suitable for beginners.
Can house 1 to 4 in a 10-gallon vivarium.
Can be kept in groups.

Phyllobates Terribilis (Golden Poison Dart Frog)

Known as the golden poison dart frog, largest among dart frogs (2.4 inches).
Can house 1 to 3 in a 20-gallon tank.
Do not keep in groups with other species; they are bold and deadly.

Tips to Keep Dart Frogs in Groups

Who said you can’t keep more than one dart frog? You can surely do this by following some ground rules. Here they are:

Provide Barriers

You wouldn’t want your frogs to fight or keep staring at each other all day. Even if the frogs don’t fight outright, the presence of another frog can cause stress. Planting broad leaves, leaf litter, wood, and dense grasses can provide multiple places to create barriers and hiding places for the frogs.

Adequate Feeding

An empty stomach can cause distress and aggression. If you don’t provide enough food for the group, the frogs may start fighting over limited food and eventually die. Follow these tips to ensure your frogs stay healthy and don’t fight over food:

Seed a bunch of springtails
Opt for multiple feeding sessions and stations
Spread fruit flies (a common snack for frogs)

Raise Frogs Together

When you introduce all the frogs while they are still juvenile into a single vivarium at the same time, they will grow up together. They won’t be aggressive towards each other and will delay breeding activity, which can boost their growth.

Watch Out for Sex Ratios

Generally, keeping more females than males can lead to fights. It’s better to maintain a 1:1 ratio or have more males. Most frog keepers start with juveniles or froglets, so ensure you’re always monitoring them as they grow and are mature enough to determine their sex.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many dart frogs can be kept in a 20 gallon tank?

As a general rule of thumb, a minimum of 5 gallons of space for each dart frog is necessary. So, in a 20-gallon tank, you can keep 3 to 4 dart frogs. However, it is recommended not to keep more than 3 dart frogs in a single enclosure.

Sometimes calculating the gallon capacity of a tank may not be sufficient. For instance, a 55-gallon tank with dimensions of 48″ x 12″ x 18″ may only provide enough floor space for 30 gallons.

This means that it may not be suitable for some frog species to have their own territories. In such cases, a 40-gallon tank may be more frog-friendly, even though it has a smaller volume of 15 gallons.

What animals can live with dart frogs?

Some animals that can live with dart frogs include:

Small lizards, such as geckos and anoles
Tree frogs
Bolitoglossa salamanders
Spiders

However, it is best to keep dart frogs with only other dart frogs to avoid any potential conflicts or health issues.

How many dart frogs can be kept in a 40 gallon tank?

As a general rule of thumb, a minimum of 5 gallons of space for each dart frog is necessary. So, in a 40-gallon tank, you can keep 6 to 8 dart frogs.

However, the number of dart frogs that can be kept in a 40-gallon tank may also depend on the size and species of the dart frogs, as well as the layout and furnishings of the tank.

Ensure that the enclosure has enough floor space for all of the dart frogs, as well as lots of hiding spots.

How many poison dart frogs can live together?

It is recommended to keep no more than 3 adult poison dart frogs in a single enclosure. You’ll need to allocate a minimum of 5 gallons of space for each poison dart frog.

So, in a 20-gallon enclosure, you might keep 3 poison dart frogs comfortably.

Can geckos can live with dart frogs?

Some species of geckos can live with dart frogs. Mourning geckos, in particular, are often kept in the same enclosure as dart frogs because they are small, peaceful, and insectivorous, which means they do not pose a threat to the dart frogs.

How many dart frogs can be kept in a 10 gallon tank?

Even though you can keep 2 dart frogs in a 10-gallon tank, it is recommended to stick to just 1 dart frog. One adult dart frog can comfortably live in a 10-gallon tank with plenty of room for exercise and exploration.